Austal USA leads the operation of the Navy Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM COE) in Danville, Virginia, a national hub dedicated to advancing the Navy’s use of additive manufacturing for submarine components. Through this effort, Austal USA is building a qualified national vendor network with advanced additive manufacturing capabilities to produce critical parts for the fleet.
The company’s advanced technology team in Charlottesville, Virginia, manages the AM COE and brings extensive expertise across multiple additive modalities and materials, including Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), Wire Laser Additive Manufacturing (WLAM), and exploratory use of Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing (CSAM).
A major focus of this initiative is ensuring that additive manufacturing digital data integrates seamlessly with Navy logistics, inventory, and quality systems. To achieve this, Austal USA is developing the Digital-Secure Exchange for Additive (Digital–SEA), a secure, Navy-compliant platform that ensures full digital traceability from design through production. Digital–SEA will link the Navy, OEMs, and additive manufacturers through a unified digital thread, providing secure, transparent access to manufacturing and performance data across the defense industrial network.